A research had been launched in Guangzhou's Panyu District to prepare a scientific basis for the city to forecast smoggy days, the Southern Metropolitan News reported Sunday.

The research is part of a project jointly undertaken by the Guangzhou Meteorological Research Center, Peking University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the National Satellite Meteorological Center.

The project cost more than two billion yuan (US$240,000), and had been designed to help predict and prevent climatic disasters on smoggy days, the report said.

Guangzhou has been plagued by an increase of smoggy days during the past couple of years. In 2002, it suffered a total of 85 smoggy days, with the worst case lasting a week. The total number hit 98 in 2003, with the worse case lasting more than 20 days.

Continuous mild winds, strong solar radiation and low relative humidity tended to result in hazy and smoggy weather, introduced Wu Dui, a leading researcher at the Guangzhou Meteorological Research Center.

Smog and haze in the air is a potential health hazard, and may bring on or worsen respiratory diseases. Sometimes, it may also lead to disastrous climates, Wu said.

(Shenzhen Daily May 25, 2004)